school field trip permission slip

[LongLiveRafiki]

Our district has similar wording on permission slips. I didn't think about it much until they had a field trip where the parent chaperones were driving all the kids. I discussed it on here (this was maybe 5 months ago) and people reassured me that they would still be liable, especially in cases of negligence. I still chose to drive her even though I couldn't chaperone, but it was more because of my lack of trust in complete strangers not employed by the school driving her around.

Every school handles field trips differently, but I will say I was surprised after chaperoning a couple of my daughter's field trips. Here, the parent chaperones go off alone with their group of kids and are pretty much the only supervision, and well... some parents are better than others at actually supervising, teaching kids whatever they are supposed to be learning on the field trip, following rules, maintaining safety, etc. I've seen chaperones glued to their phones and ignoring kids climbing on the fences at the zoo or sending a kid off alone out of eyesight to find a restroom. If you're able to, chaperone the trip so you have a better idea of how the field trips at her school are run, just how closely the kids are supervised/ whether it's by actual teachers or chaperones who may or may not even know the kids in their group's names, etc. That would also give you an opportunity to explain to your daughter if you see another kid doing something you wouldn't want her to be doing that just because other kids are doing it doesn't mean it's okay to do. And that's not trying to insinuate that you haven't taught her how to behave, but sometimes kids don't realize that they shouldn't be doing something (especially with safety issues) when they see their peers doing it too.

As for the actual liability concerns, I wouldn't stress too much over that.

 

[BrianL]

"By reading this letter out loud you have waived any legal responsibility on our part in perpetuity, throughout the universe." - Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Honestly, I don't think it's a big deal. I dunno, I don't have kids, but it seems like back when I was in school, "permission slips" were pretty much half-sheets of paper that read "I, PARENT'S NAME grant permission for my child, CHILD's NAME, to go to LOCATION." And there was maybe a date. We rode with other parents too. It's amazing, but we never lost a student. Then again, I didn't go to Springfield Elementary:

"Well, Seymour, because of your penny-pinching we're coming back from a field trip with the fewest children yet."

 

[Kellykins1218]

So, my daughter is in kindergarten. She received a permission slip for me to sign. But it states that as a parent I remain fully responsible for any legal responsibility which may result from any personal actions taken the named student. And then it goes to say that they release and hold harmless ( school name) and any and all of the employees from any and all liability for any and all harm arising to my child as a result of this trip.

What does anyone else think of this. I know this is probably close to standard with school field trip permission slips. But at the same time I am not the parent to fall in line and let my child do what another is doing. And if I were to let my 5 year old go and she gets seriously injured because the teachers weren't paying attention and controlling the kids, they aren't held responsible??? I hope others but in their thoughts.

Our district came out with a new field trip form this year that even mentions death lol. They covered everything. I asked about the form and there's some new liability guidelines from the state so they have to put it all in there.

I signed it & sent my kid to the orchard.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Those forms cannot prevent the district from liability. I don't know why they even bother with that part, unless they hope to head off those who think they are enforceable.

That is exactly why they put them in. They're hoping there is a chance someone won't be informed enough to understand it's horse poop.

 

[mom2rtk]

Just have your kid sign on your behalf then you can claim it's not legit if you need to make a claim.

 

[BrianL]

Just have your kid sign on your behalf then you can claim it's not legit if you need to make a claim.

There may have been a school form or two that "a parent" signed. Actually, I never had the guts to do it, but I knew many friends who did. I never had much reason since my grades were good. I can recall not getting a field trip permission slip signed, but the school called and was able to straighten it out.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Our slips just say something "my kid is allowed to go to abc". Nothing about liability. That is so weird.

 

[tzolkin]

Our slips just say something "my kid is allowed to go to abc". Nothing about liability. That is so weird.

This is how our permission slips are as well, but I'm pretty sure there's some liability "stuff" in the student handbook that the parents sign at the beginning of the year.


In our previous district, there was a blanket permission slip given out at orientation where parents could just sign once for whatever trips they decided to do with the kids throughout the year.